Bowling ball accessory



June 16, 1964 J. J. COPPOLA 3,137,505

BOWLING BALL. ACCESSORY Filed Aug. 9, 1961 2 Sheets-Sheet l PPGA 14 TOR.

June 16, 1964 J. J. COPPOLA 3,137,505

BOWLING BALL ACCESSORY Filed Aug. 9, 1961 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 FIG. 6

kF/G. 7

INVENTOR. .7/7/755 I (a/POM (New United States Patent 3,137,505 BGWLING BALL ACCESSGRY James J. Coppcia, Ehnont, N.Y., assignor to Industrial Electronic Hardware Corp, New York, N.Y., a corporation of New York Filed Aug. 9, 1961, Ser. No. 130,271 Claims. (ill. 27363) This invention relates to bowling balls, and more particularly to an accessory for the same.

The primary object of the present invention is to generally improve bowling. It is imperative for consistently good bowling that the ball be released by the bowler in the same manner, and preferably that the thumb be the first of the fingers to be released from the ball. One object of the invention is to provide an accessory which is secured in a bowling ball to help insure such release.

Many bowlers own their own bowling balls, and in such case the accessory may be relatively permanently secured in the ball. Other bowlers select a ball from the rack in a bowling establishment, and in such case the accessory, if owned by the bowler, may be inserted only temporarily in the ball. A further object of the present invention is to provide the accessory in several forms for one situation or the other.

To accomplish the foregoing general objects, and other more specific objects which will hereinafter appear, my invention resides in the bowling ball and accessory elements and their relation one to another, as are hereinafter more particularly described in the following specification. The specification is accompanied by drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a partially sectioned view showing a bowling ball with the present improvement;

FIG. 2 is an exploded view showing the parts of one form of the invention, drawn to enlarged scale;

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary section showing the parts of FIG. 2 in assembled relation;

FIG. 4 corresponds to the lower part of FIG. 2, but illustrates a modified form of the invention;

FIG. 5 is an exploded view showing the parts of still another form of the invention;

FIG. 6 is a fragmentary section showing the parts of FIG. 5 in assembled relation; and

FIG. 7 is a view corresponding to the lower end 0 FIG. 5, but showing still another form of the invention.

Referring now to FIG. 3, the accessory which is mounted in thumb hole 14 comprises an anchorage assembly generally designated 20, a compression spring 22 thereabove, and a plunger 24 secured to the upper end of the spring 22. The anchorage assembly has means 25 to fasten it near the inner end of the hole 14, with the plunger 24 being resiliently slidable in the hole. The plunger preferably has a hole 28 adapted to receive a screw driver, and the anchorage assembly 20 includes a screw 39 which is aligned with the hole 28 in plunger 24.

Referring now to FIG. 2, the plunger 24 may have a groove 32 in which the upper end of spring 22 is secured. The lower end of spring 22 is fastened to a cupped Washer 34, preferably by spot welding. It could be soldered or mechanically secured. The anchorage assembly comprises the cupped metal washer 34, a tapped flat Washer 36 therebeneath, and screw with its head thereabove. The cupped washer 34 preferably has a serrated periphery 33, and radial slots 40. It will be evident that tightening of the screw 30 into the tapped washer 36 flattens the cupped washer 34 and causes its serrated edge to expand. It then bites into the wall of the hole 14 as shown in FIG. 3.

Another form of the invention will be described with reference to FIG. 4. The lower end of the hole in bowling ball 112 is shown at 114. The bowling ball is drilled Patented June 16, 1964 and tapped as shown at 42 to receive a screw 44. This passes through a washer 46 which has fingers 48 to receive and hold the lower end of the compression spring. The spring and plunger have been omitted in FIG. 4 and may be like the parts 22 and 24 shown in FIG, 2. The screw driver for turning screw 44 passes through the plunger as previously described. In this form of the inventicn the anchorage is quite simple, because the screw 44 is received directly in the tapped hole 42. This form of the invention is suited for a bowler owning his own bowling ball, or for use in alleys where the accessory is adopted as standard equipment.

Another form of the invention in which the accessory is readily applied to and removed from a bowling ball is illustrated in FIGS. 5 and 6 of the drawing. In this arrangement the plunger 24 and compression spring 22 may be the same as previously described. The bottom anchorage assembly comprises a relatively thick compressible member 50, 52 made of a material having the elastic properties of live rubber. There is a metal washer 54 thereabove, and a tapped washer 56 therebeneath. A screw passes through washer 54 and the compressible member to the tapped washer 56. It will be evident that tightening of screw 58 compresses the member 50, 52 and so expands it outward or radially against the wall of the hole. In the particular case here shown the parts .50 and 52 are oppositely disposed rubber cups.

The assembly is shown in FIG. 6, with the accessory mounted in a thumb hole 214 of a bowling ball 212. It will be evident that tightening screw 58 expands the anchorage assembly to grip the lower end of the hole, and that loosening of the screw will free the accessory for ready removal from the hole.

FIG. 7 shows still another form of the invention. Here again, the anchorage assembly comprises a relatively thick member which is made of a material having the elastic properties of live rubber. This is surmounted by a metal washer 62 having a hole 64 with flattened sides 66. There is also a threaded metal bushing 63 which is secured inside the member 60. The upper end of the bushing has flats 60 which mate with the flats 66 so that the bushing does not turn relative to the member 6h. The bushing is axially slotted at a number of points as shown at 72. There are preferably four such slots. The four remaining parts are then compressed or convergent, and the arrangement is such that when a screw (which may be like the screw 58 in FIG. 5) is turned into the threaded hole '74 it forces the convergent parts outward. This in turn expands the member 60 outward against the wall of the hole 314 in bowling ball 312, thereby releasably anchoring the accessory in the ball.

The compressible member shown in FIGS. 5 and 6 of the drawing need not be hollow, and instead, may be a solid cylinder like the cylinder 60 shown in FIG. 7. This may be built up of washers. In either case (solid or laminated), if such a member is compressed between top and bottom washers, like the Washers 54 and 56 in FIG. 5, the material which is compressed in axial direction expands in radial direction, and so binds against the wall of the hole. 1

It will be understood that the form of the invention shown in FIGS. 2 and 3 would be releasable if the serrated washer 34 were made of a highly resilient metal. However, without that precaution the invention as illustrated in FIGS. 2 and 3 is intended for permanent mounting in the bowling ball.

In a typical case the thumb hole in a bowling ball may have a diameter of say of an inch, and a depth of say 2% inches. The accessory is designed to give the thumb hole an effective depth of two inches when the plunger is depressed. The height of the accessory when compressed is therefore limited to say 4 of an inch. The compression spring exerts only a light restoring force, and does not push the thumb of the bowler out of the hole. It merely facilitates the desired release of the thumb, and helps insure timely release.

It is believed that the construction and method of use of my bowling ball accessory, as well as the advantages thereof, will be apparent from the foregoing detailed description. It Will also be apparent that while I have shown and described the invention in several preferred forms, changes may be made in the structures shown without departing from the scope of the invention, as sought to be defined in the following claims.

I claim:

1. A bowling ball accessory, said accessory comprising an anchorage assembly, a compression spring secured thereabove, a plunger secured to the upper end of the spring, said plunger having a hole therethrough for the passage of a screw driver, the accessory being dimensioned to be received in the thumb hole of a bowling ball, the anchorage assembly having means to fasten the same at the inner end of the thumb hole, said means including a screw aligned with the hole in the plunger.

2. A bowling ball accessory as defined in claim 1 in which the anchorage assembly comprises a cupped metal washer having a serrated periphery and having radial slots, a flat tapped washer therebeneath and a screw with its head thereabove, whereby tightening of the screw flattens the cupped washer and causes its serrated edge to expand so that it can bite into the thumb hole of a bowling ball.

3. A bowling ball accessory as defined in claim 1 in which the anchorage assembly comprises a washer with means to hold the lower end of the spring, and a screw passing through said washer to be received in a tapped hole at the lower end of the thumb hole of the bowling ball.

4. A bowling ball accessory as defined in claim 1 in which the anchorage assembly comprises a relatively thick compressible member made of a material having the elastic properties of live rubber, a metal washer thereabove, a tapped washer therebeneath, a screw passing through the top washer and compressible member to the bottom washer whereby tightening the screw compresses fihe member and expands it sideward against the wall of the hole of a bowling ball.

5. A bowling ball accessory as defined in claim 1 in which the anchorage assembly comprises a relatively thick compressible member made of a material having the elastic properties of live rubber, said member consisting of two oppositely disposed rubber cups, a metal washer thereabove a tapped washer therebeneath, and a screw passing through the top washer and compressible member to the bottom washer, whereby tightening the screw compresses the member and expands it sideward against the wall of the thumb hole of a bowling ball.

6. A bowling ball accessory as defined in claim 1 in which the anchorage assembly comprises a relatively thick member made of a material having the elastic properties of live rubber, a threaded bushing secured in said member, a screw received in said bushing, said bushing being axially slotted and radially compressed in such fashion that when the screw is turned into the bushing it expands the bushing and thereby expands the member against the wall of the thumb hole of a bowling ball.

7. The combination with a bowling ball having the usual thumb hole, of an accessory asdefined in claim 1 secured in said thumb hole, whereby the resilient action of the plunger helps release the thumb of the bowler from the thumb hole of the ball.

8. A bowling ball accessory, said accessory comprising an anchorage assembly which is small in axial direction and which is dimensioned diametrically to be received in a standard finger hole of a bowling ball, a light compression spring secured at one end to said anchorage assembly, a plunger secured to the other end of the spring, the plunger being dimensioned to be slidably received in the said finger hole, the anchorage assembly having means to fasten the same to the bowling ball at the inner end of said finger hole, with the plunger being resiliently slidable in said finger hole by compression of the aforesaid spring between said plunger and said anchorage as sembly, the axial length of the entire accessory when expanded being less than the depth of said finger hole, and when compressed being only a fraction of the depth of said finger hole, the resilient action of the plunger helping release the finger of the bowler from the ball.

9. The combination with a bowling ball having the usual finger holes, of an accessory as defined in claim 8 received in one of said finger holes, whereby the resilient action of the plunger helps release the finger of the bowler from the ball.

10. The combination with a bowling ball having the usual thumb hole, of an accessory as defined in claim 8 secured in said thumb hole, whereby the resilient action of the plunger helps release the thumb of the bowler from the thumb hole of the ball.

11. A bowling ball accessory, said accessory comprising an anchorage assembly, a compression spring secured at one end to said anchorage assembly, a plunger secured to the other end of the spring, the accessory being dimen sioned to be slidably received in the hole of a bowling ball, the anchorage assembly having means to fasten the same to the bowling ball at the inner end of the hole, with the plunger being resiliently slidable in said hole, and said anchorage assembly comprising a cupped metal washer, a flat tapped washer therebeneath, and a screw received in the tapped washer with its head above the cupped washer, whereby tightening of the screw flattens the cupped washer and causes its edge to expand so that it can bite into the wall of the hole of the bowling ball.

12. A bowling ball accessory, said accessory comprising an anchorage assembly, a compression spring secured at one end to said anchorage assembly, a plunger secured to the other end of the spring, the accessory being dimensioned to be slidably received in the hole of a bowling ball, the anchorage assembly having means to fasten the same to the bowling ball at the inner end of the hole, with the plunger being resiliently slidable in said hole, and said anchorage assembly comprising a washer with means to hold the lower end of the spring, and a screw passing through said washer to be received in a tapped hole at the lower end of the hole of the bowling ball.

13. A bowling ball accessory, said accessory comprising an anchorage assembly, a compression spring secured at one end to said anchorage assembly, a plunger secured to the other end of the spring, the accessory being dimensioned to be slidably received in the hole of a bowling ball, the anchorage assembly having means to fasten the same to the bowling ball at the inner end of the hole, with the plunger being resiliently slidable in said hole, and said anchorage assembly comprising a relatively thick compressible member made of a material having the clastic properties of live rubber, a metal washer thereabove, a tapped washer therebeneath, a screw passing through the top washer and the compressible member to the tapped washer, whereby tightening the screw compresses the compressible member and expands it sideward against the wall of the hole of a bowling ball.

14. A bowling ball accessory, said accessory comprising an anchorage assembly, a compression spring secured at one end to said anchorage assembly, a plunger secured to the other end of the spring, the accessory being dimensioned to be slidably received in the hole of a bowling ball, the anchorage assembly having means to fasten the same to the bowling ball at the inner end of the hole, with the plunger being resiliently slidable in said hole, and said anchorage assembly comprising a relatively thick compressible member, said member consisting of two oppositely disposed rubber cups, a metal washer thereabove,

a tapped washer therebeneath, and a screw passing through the top washer and the rubber cups to the tapped bottom washer, whereby tightening the screw compresses the cups and expands them sideward against the Wall of the thumb hole of a bowling ball.

15. A bowling ball accessory, said accessory comprising an anchorage assembly, a compression spring secured at one end to said anchorage assembly, a plunger secured to the other end of the spring, the accessory being dimensioned to be slidably received in the hole of a bowling ball, the anchorage assembly having means to fasten the same to the bowling ball at the inner end of the hole,

with the plunger being resiliently slidable in said hole, and.

said anchorage assembly comprising a relatively thick member made of a materal having the elastic properties of live rubber, a threaded bushing secured in said member, a screw received in said bushing, said bushing being axially slotted and radially compressed in such fashion that when the screw is turned into the bushing it expands the bushing and thereby expands the member against the wall of the hole of a bowling ball.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 520,898 Rodman June 5, 1894 

1. A BOWLING BALL ACCESSORY, SAID ACCESSORY COMPRISING AN ANCHORAGE ASSEMBLY, A COMPRESSION SPRING SECURED THEREABOVE, A PLUNGER SECURED TO THE UPPER END OF THE SPRING, SAID PLUNGER HAVING A HOLE THERETHROUGH FOR THE PASSAGE OF A SCREW DRIVER, THE ACCESSORY BEING DIMENSIONED TO BE RECEIVED IN THE THUMB HOLE OF A BOWLING BALL, THE ANCHORAGE ASSEMBLY HAVING MEANS TO FASTEN THE SAME AT THE INNER END OF THE THUMB HOLE, SAID MEANS INCLUDING A SCREW ALIGNED WITH THE HOLE IN THE PLUNGER. 